British police to be armed with Taser stun guns

POLICE forces across Britain are to be equipped with Taser stun guns after a successful pilot scheme with the controversial high-voltage weapons, officials said yesterday.

Critics argue that the guns, which deliver a 50,000-volt charge, are “potentially lethal”, but the government says they are crucial and is paying for 10,000 of them to be distributed.

“I am proud that we have one of the few police services around the world that do not regularly carry firearms and I want to keep it that way,” said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

“But everyday the police put themselves in danger to protect us, the public. They deserve our support, so I want to give the police the tools they tell me they need to confront dangerous people,” she said.

The stun guns deliver powerful electric shocks up to 10 metres away, stopping victims in their tracks and making them easier to arrest.

The decision to extend their use by police came after a pilot scheme in 10 British police forces, in which Tasers were deployed on more than 600 occasions over the past 12 months but only used 93 times.

Rights group Amnesty International voiced alarm at the decision, saying that 300 people had died after being shot with Tasers in the United States and Canada.

“We don’t actually oppose the use of Tasers as long as it’s by a limited number of highly-trained specialist officers, responding to genuinely life-threatening or very dangerous situations,” said Amnesty’s Oliver Sprague.